A/N: I haven't had a chance to proof read this chapter properly. I skimmed it. So if you see any mistakes don't hesitate to point them out. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and I hope you like this chapter.
Chris, Marcus, and I made are way back to the library. We spent the time we gave them going over plans and deciding how we were going to handle whatever they thought up. Chris hadn't said anything about what happened in the library she just kept getting lost in her thoughts. It's kind of creeping me and making me worry. A quite Chris is a homicidal Chris or at least that is what my experience tells me.
When we walked into the library everyone fell silent. I don't know whether or not this is a good thing or a bad thing, but knowing my luck it has to be a bad thing. "So what's the verdict?" I asked as Marcus moved to stand to my left and Chris to my right. "We have decided that most of your terms are agreeable, but we want to be able to ask for help in the future if we need it no matter how you view the situation". I thought about and decided that it wasn't that big of a deal to aid them even if I don't want to. "That is doable. Anything else?" There has to be more to it than that.
"Not really. We would like to ask you some questions though about your kind at a later date if you don't mind. The watcher's journals don't have much information about elves in general". That is because most elves don't care for the human realm. "I think we can come to an agreement about that when the time comes". Giles nodded his head. "Then we have reached an agreement. We will aid you in this matter". I held my right hand out to shake hands with Giles. Marcus held out his had to Faith and Chris held out hers Wesley. We were fully in agreement.
"I still don't like this. How can we trust them?" I sighed while Chris and Marcus looked amused. "Look Summers no one cares what you like and don't like and as for trusting us I wouldn't if I were you, because if you do you might find that it is damaging to your health. Remember you need us more then we need you and you are the ones who came to us for help. I could care less about what you think and feel". She got really red in the face and glared at me. "Xander that wasn't very nice". Well duh! Stupid Willow. "I never said I was nice. That Xander is long dead and won't be coming back anytime soon. I happen to like the person I have become and you should be proud as well. After all I have you to thank for the kind of person I have turned out to be. If it were not for you people then I would still be the same push over clown that you always saw me as".
"Listen and listen well. I have changed and there is nothing you can do to change me back into the person you knew before. I am happy with who I am. I am a better person now then I was then". That's all true I am smarter, stronger, more responsible, and more mature. I don't understand why they can't see that. "I am tired of you guys living in your little fantasy world. The Mayor had nothing to do with the choices I have mad and the person I have become; no matter how much you want to blame him Willow".
They looked shocked. It's almost as if they thought I didn't know that they were blaming the Mayor for my behavior towards them. It's always easier to find fault within someone else then it is to see your own. They messed up. I messed up too, but they blew it way out of proportion. The situations that lead us all to this could have been handled a lot better by both sides. I understand that magic was involved in the issues between Angel and I, but the Scoobies have no excuse for their behavior.
"Anyway, you don't have to worry about the Mayor. He will be gone before the week is up. My friends and I will handle this alone. We don't really need your help in dealing with the Mayor". After I said that there was an outburst among some of the Scoobies. "You can't do this alone you'll just mess it up!" "We can't trust you to do this by yourself! How do we know you won't turn on us?" "Like you could handle the mayor all on your own" "I want to help!" When will they learn?
"I never said I would be alone, I don't care whether or not you trust me, and I could if I had to but lucky for me I don't have to. I understand that you want to help Faith, but you're under trained. No offense or anything, but at this point in time you wouldn't really be help you'd just be in the way".
"You act like you have been trained Xander we all know you can't fight! I can beat you any day with my eyes closed". Buffy just had to open her mouth without thinking didn't she? I wasn't waiting for this to happen, but who am I to walk away from this obvious challenge. With Chris as my teacher there is no way I could lose. "How about a little wager then?" I asked in a board tone. Everyone just looked at me curiously. "Any time and any place. I want to fight. No weapons, just hand to hand combat, and no outside interference". This got their attention. "If I win you'll become my slave for a week".
"And when I?" Yeah right. "The word you're looking for slut is IF there is first an I then an f in that word". She looks really pissed. Good, there are only a few people I know who can use their anger as a weapon. She can't it clouds her judgment. "Why don't you just name your terms. "If I win and I will then I want you to help us without getting anything in return". Fine by me. "Deal. If you back out of your part of the bet then I won't help you at all. I will let you deal with the Mayor all on your own. We can't fight in here so I suggest we take this outside".
"Whatever, like it really matters". Everyone moved to head outside the library. Think anyway you want for now bitch, but I promise that you won't think that way when I have you on your hands and knees cleaning the men's room in Willie's Alibi Room with your toothbrush. When everyone was outside Buffy and I moved about fifteen feet away from the group. I just stood there watching her; waiting for her to make the first move. I didn't have to wait very long.
Buffy moved fast and threw punch after punch at me. I dodged each and every single one of them. I wasn't really doing anything at all except moving my body out of the way of her fists. When she dropped to the ground to kick my feet out from underneath me I jumped away and landed out of her reach. When she was busy getting back up I took my chance and kicked her as hard as I could in the knee dropping her back down to the ground. I heard the bones crack and pop. "Remember Alexander if you take out your opponent's knee early in battle then chances are you already won they just do not know it or will not admit it". Chris is a damn good teacher.
I watched Buffy struggle to stand, but once she was fully standing I didn't give her a chance to react. I punched her in the gut cracking a rib or two which caused her to bend over giving my foot the chance it had always wanted since the fall out over a year ago. I pulled my leg back and kicked her right in the face breaking her nose and knocking her out cold. "I win". Chris started to slowly clap letting me know that she wasn't impressed with the fight, but happy that I had finally put Buffy in her place. Marcus and Spike soon followed her example.
"Xander where did you learn to fight like that. Granted it was a short fight, but you did very well". I looked at Chris who just stared back at me blankly. I noticed Oz was standing closely behind her. "I was trained by a high level warrior. The best of the best you could say". Chris snorted and looked up at the night sky. "Chris teaches me. She is an excellent warrior and I hope someday I will be at least half as good as her". Everyone turned to stare at her except for Marcus who was looking up at the night sky as well.
"I strongly suggest you avert your eyes and stare at something else or lose them. It is your choice" Chris stated coldly without even looking around. Everyone with the exception of Oz turned away from her. She does not like to be stared at. It makes her very irritable. "As fun as this has been we really need to be heading home now. You should make sure that she heals up real nicely because I meant what I said about her not keeping to her end of the bet". I turned to head home. I didn't even have to turn around to know that I was being followed by Chris, Marcus, and Angel.
I couldn't help it as a genuine smile spread across my face. I can tell that today is going to be a good day. It has already started out better than I had hoped and I believe that it is only going to get better after I wake up sometime in the afternoon. Tomorrow will be the last we will ever have to prepare for the Mayor's death, because the night after tomorrow will be his last.